The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-04-22
PNEUMATIC GUNS.
An English Journal on the Great
American Invention.
1t Admits That America Has Again Revolu
tiOniZed the Science of War-Effect
of Giant Dynamite Shells Upon
'sInvincibIe' 1ronclads.

| tiOniZed the Science of War-Ehect
of Giant Dynamite Shells Upon
"InvincibIe" IrOnclads.
The problem of firing OF, rather, pro-
pelling shells filled with high explosives
may be said to have been satisfactorily
| solved by the Americans. Tentative
experiments in that direction have been
carried on for the last two years with
powder guns by officers of the United
| States army. Early in 1885 trials were
made with dynamite shells at Port Lo-
bos, Cal, under the supervision of Gen
eral Kelton, assisted by Lieutenant
| Quinan, of the Fourth United States
! Artillery. The piece of ordnance used
was a condemned three-inch rifled
wrought-iron gun. Mr.. Quinan in per-
son loaded the shells, each shell-an
elongated three-inch rifle projectile-
| being charged with seven ounces of
dynamite. The first projecting charge
was quarter-pound of ordinary powder
as used in the United States artillery,
subsequently increased to half a pound
/ and one pound. In the first and sec
ond discharges, the shells did just what
was expected of them: they did not ex-
plode until they struck the targeC, a
rock one hundred yards from the gun.
When the third charge was fired, how
ever, the explosion of the charge, the
bursting of the shell and the shattering
of the gun, appeared to be simultane-
Gus, the piece of ordnance being torn
into fragments. This may be said to
have been just what was expected and
intended, the object being to demon
strate how far a shell loaded with a
high explosive may be fired from ordi-
nary guns if the propelling charge is
properly regulated.
Subsequently, trials were made on
the Potomac, near Washington, by the
United States Dynamite PrOjectile Com
pany with Snider dynamite projectiles.
/ Four six-inch shells, carrying eleven
pound bursting charges of nitro-gela-
tine, were fired against ledge of rock
one thousand yards distant. The ex-
! periments were regarded as a success
in every respect, and as conclusive
proof of the destructive power of six
/ inch shells, the latter exploding on
striking the target, and doing good
/ execution on the rock. But so far, all
attempts to throw larger charges of
high explosives out of powder guns
have failed. At least four guns have been
burst at Sandy Hook; one recently.
Having failed in the attempts to throw
uncamphorated explosive gelatine, the
very much less sensitive camphorated
explosive gelatine was resorted to.
/ = Il F,,T
camphorated, and requires very strong
initial detonation by illuminate of mer-
curry and dynamite or gun-cotton to
attain its fullest development of
| strength. In no case have the requisite
detonators of illuminate of mercury
| been thrown, as these are very sensi-
tive to explosion, by the shock which
they receive in the powder gun. All
the experiments made were instructive,
| but they were also destructive of the
guns
The problem of propelling shells
filled with high explosives, with safety
to the guns and to those discharging
them, was not satisfactorily settled
until Lieutenant Zalinski, of the Fifth
United States Artillery, brought for
ward his pneumatic gun, on the inv en-
ton and improvement of which he had
been engaged for some time. This gun
is in reality a tube sixty feet
long, made of half-inch iron lined with
one-sixteenth of an inch of brass, and
| having a bore of eight inches. The
barrel is supported and stifened by a
| light but strong iron frame, at the cen
ter of which is a pivot, about which
the gun may. be rcvolved. the breech
end being provided with wheels, which
run upon circular track. The gun is
elevated and depressed by means Of a
piston, the cylinder of which receives
! air from eight reservoirs-each of
which is twenty feet long, twelve
! Inches outside diameter, and made of
ron half an inch thick-placed upon
/ the frame beneath the barrel, the air
/ being supplied by a compressor. tn is
piston presses upon the gun just for
ward of the trunnions TO elevate the
barrel Upon the air being allowed to
/ escape slowly, the barrel is lowered by
gravity. To the pistons of two cylin-
ders placed at the pivot are secured
/ the ends of wire ropes, one of which is
secured to the rear part Of the frame,
/ the other to the opposite side. The
gun may be rapidly turned in either
| direction by admitting air to either of
/ the cylinders. An-arm at the center Of
one Of the trunnions. through which
the compressed air passes to the gun.
operates an auxiliary valve, which in
/ turn moves the main valve, opening
/ the passage to an air-ehamber behind
the proiectile. From the instant of
| opening the valve, the full pressure Of
/ the air in the reservoirs is exerted upon
/ the proiectile until il reaches the muz-
sle. when the valves are automatically
/ closed The eight reservoirs contain
enough air at one thousand pounds
| pressure 10 discharge the gun
six times; but as they can be continu-
crsly rcsupplied with air by the com.